Sean Pollard #76 of the Clemson Tigers celebrate his teams 44-16 win over the Alabama Crimson Tidein the CFP National Championship presented by AT&amp;T at Levi's Stadium on January 7, 2019 in Santa Clara, California.

Orange Crush: Clemson topples No. 1 'Bama for national title

Alabama has never lost a game by more than 14 points since coach Nick Saban arrived in 2007.

Author:
RALPH D. RUSSO , AP College Football Writer

Published:
8:23 PM EST January 7, 2019

Updated:
11:55 PM EST January 7, 2019

Trevor Lawrence passed for 347 yards and three touchdowns and No. 2 Clemson rolled No. 1 Alabama 44-16 on Monday night in the College Football Playoff national championship game.

In the fourth consecutive playoff meeting between the Tigers and Tide, Clemson evened the series and beat 'Bama for the national title for the second time in three seasons. Clemson is the first team in the AP poll era, dating back to 1936, to finish 15-0.

Coach Nick Saban and the Tide (14-1) were looking for a sixth national championship in 10 years, trying to add to an already unprecedented run in the sport. Instead, Clemson crushed Alabama, becoming the first opponent to beat the Tide by more than 14 points since Saban became coach in 2007.